Nice Knowing You, Illaria

I forgot to mention in the previous message that Illaria moved out on Saturday. She didn’t have too many belongings, so she left quickly, without the need for help from Chris or myself. I just happened to come home after running errands in the morning, and Leive told me that Illaria wasn’t there anymore.

It’s probably just as well; after two months Leive was getting tired of having her around, especially after I returned from Connecticut. No big reason, just several idiosyncrasies that come from different personalities clashing. You may have heard that the Chinese word for “trouble” is expressed by drawing two women under one roof (see below); we probably would have seen trouble coming if the current situation hadn’t changed.

The other factor was that Illaria didn’t seem to be happy here anymore. Our house is on the eastern edge of Lexington; Lexington has no suburbs, so residential districts like the one we’re in are the next best thing. We’re closer to the horse farms than downtown Lexington, and the whole family likes having a few critters around, like the rabbits, birds, squirrels and chipmunks we see in the yard every day. Illaria, on the other hand, grew up in the middle of Cairo, so while we find the urban environment crowded and dirty, that’s the life she is used to.

According to Leive, Illaria recently told her that she felt buried while staying in our house. For me that’s the strangest part. Sure, we don’t watch TV here, but she had access to our wi-fi, and could go out whenever she liked. It seems to me that being buried isn’t as bad for an Egyptian as it would be for an American or a Filipino. For crying out loud, even in modern times their graves can be better than their houses! Here’s what I wrote about that, for one of my African history papers in 2005. Quote:

One Egyptian custom that has lasted through the ages is a fondness for elaborate graves. The mausoleums in Cairo’s vast "City of the Dead" are nicer than most poor people’s homes; some even have plumbing and electricity! Consequently many of Cairo’s poorest have moved in, turning the mausoleums into apartments for both the homeless and the lifeless. However, they have to stay out of sight on holidays, when relatives of the dead come to pay their respects or have picnics among the graves. The keepers of the cemeteries make the best of the situation by charging the squatters rent.

Unquote: I don’t know how Illaria is paying the rent on her new apartment, inasmuch as she didn’t have a job when she left. Perhaps she has one now. I hope she’s happy in her new life. Take Care and God bless!